Letter to the Editor - Tidewater Issue

December 16th marks the first anniversary of the County Board of Zoning Appeals final decision approving the junkyard conditional use application for the property on Tidewater Road.

Those not directly affected by the operation would not understand why we, the residents and homeowners of Tidewater, fought so passionately against their approval.

When the decision was rendered in the businesses favor, we did not hesitate to obtain representation and file an appeal against the decision. Fortunately for us; that step along with a final conversation with the business owner was enough to drive his decision to relocate to another county.

I personally gave up a year of my life and earnings potential , additionally taking on thousands in legal fees to make right what my government failed to. At all times and to this day fearing reprisals from those I wished to have removed.

There is a story that needs to be told, and there are people who need to be held accountable for their actions.

It took a year of my life to get the information that I needed. Whatever the excuses may be, what happened here was unacceptable.

The bottom line is this; the business and the majority of its customer base were well known amongst our local and outlying law enforcement communities. I knew all along that heroin addicts and thieves were being literally funneled into the place that I call home. I reported to those who could do something to help and suffered through their inaction and ridicule.

This business had operated unlicensed in our county since 2007, providing an outlet for stolen property from multiple counties.

It’s time to come clean and own up.

Aside from throwing me, my family and my neighbors under the bus, just how many of our county residents were victimized by these opportunists as well?